JELLYFISH to Bring Dystopian Disco Comedy to Underbelly at Edinburgh Fringe

Blah Blah Productions will present JELLYFISH, a new dystopian comedy exploring anti-ageing, wellness culture and humanity's fear of death, at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe from August 5-31.

Written by and starring Jess Coppen-Gardner, the production follows 100-year-old twins Nova and T, who have managed to retain the appearance of 30-year-olds through an extreme regimen dedicated to extending their lives. Directed by Lillith Freeman, JELLYFISH will play Underbelly George Square's Bluebell at 12:15 p.m.

Camp, comic and increasingly disturbing, the show examines the growing longevity industry and asks how much people might be willing to sacrifice for the possibility of living forever.

“We are living in a time where every part of our routine can be analysed for optimisation, our habits are dissected and ageing is being treated as a problem to solve rather than a natural part of life,” said Coppen-Gardner. “If you're not taking part in the longevity industry, you're fascinated by it. Jellyfish is like if The Substance and Beef had a baby and that baby was twins.”

About JELLYFISH

Nova and T have just turned 100 years old — but still look 30.

For one day only, the twins host an exclusive interview revealing the secrets behind their eternal youth. Their dystopian daily routine includes 4:30 a.m. alarms, red-light therapy, shock treatments, Botox, blood transfusions and more than 20 supplements. There are no friends and no fun. The ultimate rule: Don't die.

When the interviewer turns attention to the twins' most controversial procedure, public scrutiny begins to grow. Tensions rise, secrets emerge and their supposedly perfect system begins to fail.

After all, even jellyfish can be washed ashore.

Cast and Creative Team

JELLYFISH is written by Jess Coppen-Gardner and directed by British and Czech-Jewish theatre-maker Lillith Freeman, whose work combines dreamlike storytelling with political and social themes. Freeman also composed the music for the production and created the projections alongside Tiago de Ponte Alves.

Coppen-Gardner stars alongside Teddy Walker, whose theatre credits include Angry & Young at the Almeida Theatre, We're Here Because We're Here at The National Theatre and Almost Instinct Almost True at Edinburgh Fringe. His screen credits include Netflix's The Crown, and he is also the voice of Ronan Quiniou.

The creative team also includes twins Dan Silver as Production Manager and Toby Silver as Technical Manager. The production combines dark comedy with immersive visuals and inventive staging.

About Blah Blah Productions

Led by writer-performer Jess Coppen-Gardner, Blah Blah Productions creates theatre designed to challenge, amuse and unsettle audiences.

In 2022, the company produced What's Wrong With Me? – The Musical, written and directed by Coppen-Gardner. The production went on to sell out two runs in 2024 at The Green Room Theatre and The Lion & Unicorn.

Performance Information

JELLYFISH will run August 5-31, excluding August 18, at Underbelly George Square – Bluebell as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

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